Fiber Patch Cords, SFP/SFP+/QSFP, WDM Assemblies, etc

Tag Archives: SFP-10G-SR

You must be puzzled by the two different short reach optical transceivers for a long time: FET-10G and SFP-10G-SR. What’s their differences? Does the connection work if we connect Cisco Nexus switches with FET-10G on one end and SFP-10G-SR on the other end? With these questions in mind, I’d like to invite you to keep reading the article.

FET-10G vs SFP-10G-SR Difference

FET-10G vs. SFP-10G-SR are Cisco brand for building short network. FET is short for “Fabric Extender”. Just as its name implies, this module can only support fabric links from a Nexus 2000 to a Cisco parent switch. Fabric Extender transceiver can support link lengths up to 100m over OM3 or OM4 multimode fibre cable. SFP-10G-SR transceiver supports link lengths of 26m on standard fibre distributed data interface-grade multimode fibre cable. The link lengths can reach up to 300m over OM3 fibre cable and 400m over OM4 fibre patch leads. You can learn some small differences from the following table.

SFP+

Wavelength(nm)

Cable Type

Interface

Modal Bandwidth(MHz km)

Max Cable Distance (m)

FET-10G

850

MMF

Duplex LC

500 (OM2)

2000 (OM3)

4700 (OM4)

25

100

100

SFP-10G-SR

850

MMF

Duplex LC

160

200 (OM1)

400

500 (OM2)

2000 (OM3)

4700 (OM4)

26

33

66

82

300

400

Can We Connect FET-10G With SFP-10G-SR

In Cisco Nexus switch, do the transceivers have t ends in order for the connection to work? Does FET module have to be linked with another FET module? Now there is a FET-10G module in Cisco Nexus 2000 series fabric extender and SFP-10G-SR in a Nexus 5000 series switch. Can this connection work normally? Before making a judgement, let’s first compare the power of FET-10G and SFP-10G-SR.

SFP+ Module

Transmit Power (dBm)

Receive Power (dBm)

Max.

Min.

Max.

Min.

FET-10G

-1.3

-8

-1

-9.9

SFP-10G-SR

-1.2

-7.3

-1.0

-9.9

From the above chart, transmit power and receiver power are different. And it has mentioned before that FET-10G vs. SFP-10G-SR support different network distance over the same fibre cable. Therefore, we can get a conclusion that FET-10G transceiver have to be connected with another FET-10G module. If we build a connection with SFP-10G-SR into the Nexus 5000 and FET-10G in Nexus 2000, it won’t work.

For better connection, when using FET-10G fabric extender transceiver, you should follow these rules:
1. FET-10G only supports fabric links, for instance, fabric links from a Nexus 2000 series to a Cisco parent switch.
2. Cisco fabric extender transceiver must be connected to another fabric extender transceiver, FET-10G to FET-10G.
3. FET-10G can be used for Nexus Cisco 2200 uplinks.
4. FET-10G can support fabric links on Cisco 5000, 6000, 7000 series switch.

Can We Replace FET-10G with SFP-10G-SR Modules?

FET-10G transceiver is designed to connect Cisco Nuplink ports (fabric interfaces) with the upstream parent Cisco Nexus switch. We already know that we can’t intermix FET-10G with SFP-10G-SR modules. How about plugging SFP-10G-SR transceivers into the fabric ports to connect Cisco Nexus switches? That is to say, can we replace FET-10G with SFP-10G-SR?

The answer is yes. However, it’s more expensive compared with original Cisco SFP-10G-SR transceiver. FET-10G is to provide an uplink to a Fabric Extender and save you money. If you already have them, then use them. If you making a purchasing decision, buy the FET-10G or third-party SFP-10G-SR.

Conclusion

From this article, you can find FET-10G vs SFP-1T-10G is specially designed for Cisco Nexus series switches. To make sure the right connection, bear in mind that use the sane transceivers on both sides, either FET or 10G-SR. You can replace FET-10G with SFP-10G-SR while you can’t do that in turn.

10 Gigabit Ethernet is a telecommunication technology that can support the network speed up to 10 billion bits per second. It’s also known as 10GbE. As 10GbE greatly increases bandwidth, many companies start to upgrade the data centers to meet their growing needs. How to build a 10G data center? What kind of equipment will be used except the switch? This article will recommend you some basic 10G solutions.

10G SFP+ (small form-factor pluggable plus) modules are hot swappable transceivers that plug into SFP+ slots on switches and support 10G data center. With small form factor, SFP+ transceivers can ensure low power disruption and high port density. Since it’s hot pluggable, the transceiver modules can be added or removed without interrupting the whole network. And SFP+ modules deliver data transmission speed of up to 10Gbit/s, which is 10 times faster than Gigabit Ethernet.

Currently, a wide variety of SFP+ modules can be purchased in the market. For the long distance transmission, modules include SFP-10GBASE-LR, SFP-10GBASE-ER, SFP-10GBASE-ZR, CWDM SFP+ and DWDM SFP+. For the short distance transmission, there are modules like SFP 10GBASE-SR, SFP-10GBASE-LRM. Brands are also versatile such as Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Brocade, etc. To get modules with lower costs, you can pick third-party transceivers which are compatible with these original brands.

Patch cables contain both fiber and copper types. Fiber patch cords, as one of the data transmission media, enjoy great popularity because they have large transmission capacity, strong anti-electromagnetic interference, high security and fast speed. LC fiber patch cord is one of the most common cables for 10G data center, covering single-mode and multimode categories respectively for data transmission over long distance and short distance. To increase panel density, flexible HD LC push-pull tab fiber patch cable is designed. With its unique design, this patch cable allows the connector to be disengaged easily from densely loaded panels without the need for special tools and give users easy accessibility in narrow areas for data center deployment applications. Another special LC patch cord is uniboot patch cord. It utilizes a special “round duplex” cable that allows duplex transmission within a single cable. It’s good for saving cable management space comparing to standard patch cords.

10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable Assemblies

10G SFP+ direct attach cable (DAC ) is a cost-effective solution for 10G data center. It’s a low-power alternative to optical SFP+ system. The 10G SFP+ cables provide low-cost and reliable 10G speed with either copper cables over distances up to 10 m or active optical cables reaching distances up to 100 m. Because there is no need for spending on fiber optic transceivers and cables. This kind of cables contain 10G SFP+ copper cables, both passive and active and active optical cable (AOC). Active copper cable and AOC are designed for long distance connection, while passive copper cable is for short distance, such as the interconnection of top-of-rack switches with application servers and storage devices in a rack.

Fiber Enclosure

Fiber enclosure is an equipment you must have in data centers. This component is used to provide a flexible and modular system for managing fiber terminations, connections, and patching in high density data center application to maximize rack space utilization and minimize floor space. Fiber enclosure can be divided into different configurations like rack mount (available in 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U), wall mount, indoor or outdoor. The rack mount enclosure come into three flavors. One is the slide-out type and the other two are removable type and swing out type. Fiberstore introduces high density fiber enclosures with 48 ports, 96 ports and even 288 ports loaded LC FAPs (fiber adapter panels) in 1RU or 4RU rack mount for 10G solutions. Or if you already have the unloaded fiber enclosures, you just need to buy fiber adapter panels.

Conclusion

To build a 10G data center, you have to prepare the components, for instance, 10G SFP+ modules, LC patch cables, 10G SFP+ cables, fiber enclosures, etc. You may also need other instruments for testing and cable organization. And all those equipment can be got from FS.COM with higher quality but fewer costs. For more information, you can contact us via sales@fs.com.

The demand for high bandwidth promotes the development of data transmission technology. Ethernet standard continuously evolves to meet fast speed need, from 100BASE, 1000BASE to 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Meanwhile, the data carrying technology also develops to provide great bandwidth for transporting data with low cost, such as the copper and fibre cable as well as optical transceiver module.

Figure1. 10 Gigabit Ethernet Cabling

Media for 10 Gigabit Ethernet: Copper and Fibre

In 10 Gigabit Ethernet, copper and fibre are used to transport data. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Copper is more affordable and easy to install. It acts the best when used in short lengths, typically 100 meters or less. But when deployed over long distance, electromagnetic signal characteristics will influence its performance. Besides, bundling copper cabling can cause interference, which makes it difficult to employ as a comprehensive backbone. So copper cabling are widely used in PCs and LANs communication network instead of campus or long-distance transmission.

Compared with copper, fibre cabling is usually used for long distance communication among campus, and environments that need protection from interference, such as manufacturing areas. In addition, fibre cabling is more reliable and less susceptible to attenuation, which makes it suitable for data transmission distance over 100 meters. But fibre still has drawbacks. It’s more costly than copper.

The Evolution of 10 Gigabit Ethernet Cabling

Since 10 GbE technologies have changed, so have the cabling technologies. There are two main standards: IEEE802.3ae and IEEE802.3ak. Factors covered in these standards like transmission distance and equipment being used are helpful to determine the cabling strategy.

IEEE802.3ae

IEEE802.3ae standard updates the existing IEEE802.3 standard for 10GbE fibre transmission. The new standard defines several new media types for LAN, metropolitan area network (MAN) and wide area network (WAN) connectivity.

10GBASE-SR – it supports 10GbE transmission over standard multimode fibre (850 nm) for distances of 33 and 86 meters. The SR standard also supports up to 300 meters using the new 2000MHz/km multimode fibre (laser optimized). This one is the lowest-cost optics for 10GbE.

10GBASE-LX4 – it can support multimode fibre for distances up to 300 meters using Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM). The LX4 standard also supports single mode fibre for up to 10 Km. LX4 is more expensive than both SR and LR because it requires four times the optical and electrical circuitry in addition to optical multiplexers.

10GBASE-ER – it uses optics (1550nm) to support single mode fibre up to 30 km.

IEEE802.3ak / 10GBASE-T

10GBASE-T is the latest proposed 10GbE standard for use with unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) style cabling. This standard is to improve the performance and increase the transmission distance at a lower cost. Category 5 (Cat 5) and Category 6 (Cat 6) are the most common cabling systems being installed today. But Cat 5 can’t meet the bandwidth demands of 10GbE’s transmission. To meet the needs of 10GbE, manufacturers create Category 6A (Cat 6A), designed with existing Cat 6 cable but measured and specified to higher frequencies. In addition to Cat 6A, 10GBASE-T will operate on Category 7 (Cat 7) cables.

10GbE Transceivers

Except the cabling, transceivers also need to be considered for the network connectivity. Transceivers provide the interface between the equipment sending and receiving data. 10GbE has four defined transceiver types, including XENPAK, X2, XFP and SFP+ (Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus). These transceivers are pluggable and are compliant with 802.3ae standard.

Among them, SFP+ is the smallest 10G form factor. And it can interoperate with XENPAK, X2, XFP interface on the same link. Fiberstore provides a number of interfaces attempted to satisfy different objectives including support for MMF and SMF compatibility, such as SFP-10G-SR, SFP-10G-LR, SFP-10G-ER, SFP-10G-ZR, etc. For example, SFP-10G-SR transceiver module can support 300 meters data transmission distance over 850 nm multimode fibre. And SFP-10G-LR module supports the link length up to 10 kilometers over 1310 nm single mode fibre.

Figure2. 10 Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver

As the corresponding cabling technology gets great improvement, 10 Gigabit Ethernet is becoming more affordable and pervasive. 10G network brings us higher speed. For 10G network connectivity, SFP+ transceivers are recommended to transport data over copper or fibre cabling.

The optical transceiver Module used for optical-to electrical conversion is a key component in optical communication systems. Fibre Optic Transceiver Module is a self-contained component that can both transmit and receive. Usually, it is inserted in devices such as routers or network interface cards which provide one or more transceiver module slot (e.g GBIC, SFP, SFP+, XFP). SFP module is a compact optical module used in optical communications. The SFP is short for small form-factor pluggable and also called Mini-GBIC (the upgrade version of GBIC). The SFP module has many applications in both telecommunication and data communications. This article focus on picking SFP transceivers for Cisco 3560 switches.

Cisco 3560

The Cisco Catalyst 3560 series is a line of enterprice-class switches that include support for PoE, Qos, And advanced security features such as ACLs. These switches, shown in Figure 1, are ideal access layer switches for small enterprise LAN access or branch-office converged network environments.

Figure 1.Catalyst 3560

The Cisco Catalyst 3560 series supports forwarding rates of 32 Gbps to 128Gbps (Catalyst 3560-E switch series). The Catalyst 3560 series switches are available in different fixed configurations:

Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Eternet connectivity

Up to 48 10/100/1000 ports, plus four small form-factor pluggable ports

Since this article is discuss module options for Cisco 3560 series, to learn more about the Catalyst 3560 series of switches, see the data sheet of Cisco Catalyst 3560 series.

Optical Transceiver for Cisco 3560 series switches

The Cisco switch product lines are widely deployed globally, in large part because of the flexibility they provide for add-on options.not only does the Cisco IOS have the richest set of features available relative to any other network operating system, but the IOS is also tailor fit to each Cisco networking device, switches in particular.

To illustrate the options available, which are literally too voluminous to list here, we focus on the Catalyst 3560 switches. The Catalyst 3560 switches have Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) ports that support a number of SFP transceiver modules.

Here is a list of the SFP modules supported on one or more types of 3560 switches:

A FI is the core component of a UCS solution. FIs are typically configured as highly available clustered pairs in production environments. It’s possible to run a single FI-based design as a proof of concept test deployment before actually implementing it in production. FIs provide the following two capabilities:

Network connectivity to both LAN and SAN

UCS infrastructure management through the embedded management software, UCSM, for both hardware and software management

FIs are available in two generations, namely Cisco UCS 6100 series and Cisco UCS 6200 series. The core functionality is the same in both generations; however, UCS 6200 series has a newer generation Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), higher throughput, and increased number of physical ports. Both generations can be upgraded to the latest UCSM software.

FIs provide converged ports. Depending on the physical Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) transceivers and FI software configuration, each port can be configured in different ways. Cisco 200 series FI ports can be configured as Ethernet ports, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) ports, or Fibre Channel (FC) ports. On the other hand, 6100 series converged ports only support Ethernet and FCoE (they also support FC, but only in the expansion slot).

In production, FIs are deployed in clustered pairs to provide high availability. Cisco-supported implementation requires that clustered FIs be identical. The only possibility for having different FIs in a cluster is during a cluster upgrade.

Exploring Connectivity Transceivers for FIs

A variety of SFP transceivers are available for The Cisco UCS 6200 series. These transceivers provide south-bound IOM connectivity and north-bound network and storage connectivity. They are based on industry-standard SFP+ specifications.

Transceivers can be selected depending on the technology, for example, Ethernet or FC, and also according to the distance requirements. For shorter distances between FIs, IOMs, and north-bound network switches, twinax cables with integrated SFP is an economical alternative as compared to fibre optic SFP.

The most commonly used transceivers include following:

Cisco SFP-10G-SR: This is a multimode optical fibre 10Gbps Ethernet SFP that can be used for distances up to 400 meters.

Cisco SFP-10G-LR: This is a single-mode optical fibre 10Gbps Ethernet SFP that can be used for distances up to 10 Km.

Cisco SFP-10G-TET: This is a low power consuming multimode fibre optic 10Gbps Ethernet SFP that can be used for distances up to 100 meters.

Cisco SFP-H10GB-CuxM: These are the twinax cables providing low cost 10Gbps Ethernet connectivity and are available in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 meter configurations.

Cisco SFP-H10GB-ACU10M: This is a 10-meter-long twinax cable providing 10Gbps Ethernet. At a length of 10 meters, this cable requires active transceivers at both ends.